Riddle Poems

I. The beginning of eternity,

The end of time and space,
The beginning of every end,
And the end of every place.
-The Guess Book (c. 1820)

II. There is one that has a head without an eye,

And there’s one that has an eye without a head.
You may find the answer if you try;
And when all is said,
Half the answer hangs upon a thread.
-Christina Rossetti

III. We are little airy Creatures,

All of diff’rent Voice and Features,
One of us in Glass is set,
One of us you’ll find in Jet,
T’other you may see in Tin,
And the fourth a Box within,
If the fifth you should pursue
It can never fly from you.
-Jonathan Swift

IV. At the back of every Igloo,

And the middle of the Moon,
Always running around in Loops you’ll find me,
If you look inside the Room.
What am I?

V. Voiceless it cries,
Wingless flutters,
Toothless bites,
Mouthless mutters.
-J.R.R. Tolkien

VI. Alive without breath,

As cold as death;
Never thirsty, ever drinking,
All in mail, never clinking.
-J.R.R. Tolkien
VII. He has no feet, yet travels far;
literate, but no scholar he;
no mouth, yet he clearly speaks.
If you know him, you are wise.
-Subhasitaratnabhandagara (Sanskrit riddle poem)

Answers

I. The letter e
II. Pins and needles
III. Vowels
IV. oo
V. Wind
VI. Fish
VII. A letter